Aristobulus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A masculine personal name borne by several ancient figures, including Jewish Hasmonean kings and a philosopher of Alexandria
2. A male given name of Greek origin shared by several historical figures from the ancient Jewish and Hellenistic worlds
3. The name of several ancient men, among them Hasmonean rulers of Judea and a Jewish Hellenistic philosopher

Etymology: Aristobulus is a given name, not a common noun, and its history is that of a Greek compound. It comes from the Greek "aristos", meaning "best", and "boulē", meaning "counsel" or "advice", so the name means something like "best in counsel" or "of the best judgment." The name was borne by several figures of the Hellenistic world, including Hasmonean kings of Judea, whose dynasty is sometimes named after the family line that carried it. The name is attested in the Greek-speaking East from the Hellenistic period onward, and it reached English through Latin and the New Testament world. Aristobulus appears in Roman-era writing as a personal name among Jewish and Greek families, and St. Paul's letter to the Romans sends greetings to "those of the household of Aristobulus," suggesting a figure of some local standing in early Christian Rome. The name is rarely used in English today, and it survives mainly as a historical or classical name.